


Words I Don't Want To Hear.

by Fanficmaniatic



Series: A multiverse of Sandstorms [2]
Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gay Male Character, Ghost Cole (Ninjago), M/M, Multi, The Overlord Court, Unrequited Crush
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:53:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26580937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fanficmaniatic/pseuds/Fanficmaniatic
Summary: Soulmates, you are tied to them, for better or worse. The words on your wrist are supposed to help you. If you are lucky enough to have them.Cole wasn't lucky, and though he always hoped the words would appear... Well, destiny and him were never the best of friends.
Relationships: Cole/Morro (Ninjago), Cole/Zane (Ninjago), Kai/Skylor (Ninjago), Nya/Jay Walker, P.I.X.A.L./Zane (Ninjago)
Series: A multiverse of Sandstorms [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1899118
Comments: 5
Kudos: 35





	Words I Don't Want To Hear.

Ever since Cole was a child he heard the stories, his father, Lou, in particular was very fond of his; the story of how he met his mother. “That’s a beautiful song” she had said, and Lou in shock, having read those words thousands of times, answered shy with a “Thanks, I wrote it myself.”

Cole found it funny, the words on his father’s wrist allowed him to know his mom was the one, and that alone used to blow the 7 years old’s mind. 

He spent countless hours wondering what his words would be, would it be something funny? or just something super casual and hard to tell apart? Cole really hoped it wasn’t the last one, it was bad enough that he wasn’t born with his words like most people, he didn’t want to add a “hello” to his wrist and made the whole process harder. But still he was excited, and he couldn’t wait to see what would be written in his wrist. Any day the words could appear, he just had to be patient. 

He wasn’t worried about not having his words already, his mom had told him that even if most people were born with them on their wrists, it was common for them to also appear during childhood. She had been 9 when her words appeared, his father, on the other hand, was born with them. And while Cole admired the writing on his mother's arm, he couldn’t help but think that any day, not so far away, he would wake up to words leading to his soulmate. Soon, he just had to be patient. 

He was 9, and by that point every single kid in his classroom had their words. Every single kid except for him. Cole didn’t understand it, why didn’t they appear? It was just a sentence! three words maximum!! a word?... Come on! He just wanted to know. His parents always told him that everything was alright, but with each day passing it seemed like the words would never come. He still tried to keep himself optimistic.

Most of the time it was fine, It didn’t even cross his mind, but when the other kids in his dance studio started talking about their words and how some of them had already met their soulmates, Cole couldn’t help but wonder, did he even have one? He touched his wrist anxiously, unconsciously checking for any change. He was not surprised when It turned out to be blank. It was nothing new. 

“Hey, Cole. What are your words?” One of his classmates asked him while he was warming-up. He shouldn’t have been mad, she didn’t know, but he was 13 and studies said that after turning 14 the chances of your soulmate words appearing in your wrist were zero no none. “I don’t have any!” He snapped. It wasn’t the first time someone asked, and It probably wouldn’t be the last. 

The days went by, and before he knew it he was 14, and to the surprise of no one, the words weren’t there. It crushed him, it didn’t matter how much his mom told him to be positive or that he could still find love, he couldn’t help but feel… flawed. But that pain didn’t last much, or in better words, that pain was replaced for one much worse.

That weekend when Cole arrived home from the academy, instead of two pairs of warm hugs he was met with mystery and a cold glare. He didn’t understand it, what happened? Where was his mom? She didn’t… She couldn’t… I didn’t make sense!! His father was in front of him, face blank, but it didn’t make sense!! Because if Cole was paying attention correctly his mom had just died, and his father delivered the news the same way he would announce the weather. It was a sick Joke! Yeah! It had to be, though his dad was not known for his jokes. But what else could it be? He had talked to his mom just yesterday before class!! And he knows for sure, he is certain, that if his mom had really left… died… His dad wouldn’t be this nonchalant about it.

Right?

He hated being wrong, but hated more the fact that he never saw Lou mourn his mother. Throughout sadness and rage he realized that he didn’t want a soulmate, he was thankful for his empty wrist, because how could soulmates be real, when the man that was his father for his soulmate couldn’t shed a tear? How could soulmates be real when he saw with his own eyes that one didn’t mourn the other after they leave? They say you learn something new every day, that day he learned that soulmates don’t care for you, but most importantly that he couldn’t spend another day living in the same roof with Lou Brookstone.

  
  


***

When he started training with the Ninjas they rarely touched the soulmates subject, mainly because they had to fight and train, and they were like over 100 topics better than that one, but it became inevitable the night they rescued Nya, after Jay’s high pitched scream when she said “Blue? Is my favorite color” he… Lost it. Apparently they were soulmates, and Jay thought that was a valid excuse to make the rest of the team deaf for the remaining hour, but as expected, the question raised, “Hey guys, what are your words?” Jay couldn’t shut his mouth, could he? 

Kai proudly showed his wrist, which read “I can take care of myself,” he was born with his words, and he just knew he would find his soulmate pretty soon. Cole looked at Zane who played with his sleeve anxiously, and when he met his gaze they both knew they shared the same predicament. Cole didn’t know why but that made him feel good, so he laughed. Zane looked at him confused and Cole showed his wrist to the crew. “I don’t have any, and luckily, to this point is impossible for words to appear, which means I don’t have to take any of destiny’s BS and live however I want to live.” 

Zane looked at him and smiled,“that’s an interesting way of seeing it.” 

“No, my friend. That’s the way of seeing it.” Said the Black ninja with confidence.

  * ••



Cole should start learning, learning that when you want something so bad it never ends up in your favor. 

But here’s the thing, he felt in love. 

Or so he thought.

There was something about him and Zane not having their words that made them closer, like there was nothing glueing them together and that was perfect, because every time they were with the other it wasn’t because some dumb words where on their wrists, but because they liked the company. 

Cole fell in Love with Zane; after Zane found out he was a robot and was scared and his whole world had just shaken but he still came out to help; after he saw how Zane cared about Lloyd and felt bad about not doing the same; after Zane made them for dinner his favorite dish that time they had a discussion; Or maybe it was after that one late night talk during a mission with Jay’s snores at the background, or where Zane helped him plan a lesson for the school, but he was sure of something; it was because of his smile. Zane’s smile could light up the room, and if there was something he wished he could do was to tell him, scream at his face how much he loved him.

But Zane wasn’t there.

He just gave his life for them, after he fell in love with Pixal.

A sob escaped Cole’s throat as he cried in the bathroom, where the cold floor did nothing but make him feel worse. In his mind two questions were at war “Why didn’t I tell him earlier?” and “Why did I think he would love me back?”

  * ••



At his 19 years of age Cole had learned something; life wasn’t fair. He saw examples of it everywhere, from his childhood wishes of meeting his soulmate, to his mother's death, to him having a crush on his partner, and to… the death of Sensei Garmadon.

It was weird how the man that once tried to kill them became their professor, how they just walked out of his funeral. Cole felt terrible for Lloyd, he didn’t even want to imagine how it might feel. Cole himself was mourning the loss of a teacher, but to Lloyd it was his father, who he had just gotten back. Life wasn’t fair.

Cole made his way to the bathroom, because even if the loss didn’t hit him as hard as some others he still needed to clear his head, and he hoped a hot shower would do the trick. It had been a Long and eventful month; the Tournament of Elements, finding Zane, escaping. Well, at least Kai found his soulmate, and Skylor seemed pretty cool. 

Cole closed the door behind him, and resting his back on it he just led himself slid to the floor. He let out a sign. Zane was alive, but that didn’t change anything. Cole couldn’t tell him, not with Pixal trapped in his head. But Zane was there, and he was smiling and Cole felt like his chest was burning, and he just wanted to scream and tell him… Just tell him what he felt. Silent tears rolled down his cheeks as he pulled his hair. Idiot, stop expecting miracles. 

He ran his hands through his face, and maybe it was his watery eyes, but he didn’t see it right away... but once he did his heart almost stopped. Cole was petrified, his throat was thigh, and it seemed like the entire world along with his lungs had stopped. Shaking he held his wrist, unable to believe what he was seeing. A sentence, so messily written it looked like someone took an old pen and wrote it in a hurry.

A sentence.

His words.

Five words.

His soulmate.

He had a soulmate.

No, it couldn’t be. It didn’t make sense. Why now? He didn’t need a soulmate! He didn’t want a soulmate!! It had to be a joke! 

Cole jumped and in a blink he was in the bathroom sink. He tried everything, rubbing his hand against it, washing it with everything they had in the bathroom, by the end of it his wrist a bright shade of red, but it didn’t matter what he did the words didn’t leave his skin. 

He couldn’t help but feel stupid as his breathing started to go faster. I didn’t make sense… Why now? ...Why today of all days? Too much was going on already. Cole was shaking and he felt like he barely could breath. This wasn’t happening. 

He threw himself to the bathroom floor, it seemed like he would always end up there, and with a shaking voice he read the words that he for so long wanted and for years feared.

“Get out of my way.” 

  * ••



Cole should have guessed that his soulmate would be an ashole, I mean… Those words, “would you please move” was an educated alternative, jerk. 

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Once Cole learned that he did, in fact, have a soulmate, he really didn’t know what to do. He was scared, those words meant that out there someone was waiting for him… but his heart right now was beating for someone else. 

Of course, he already knew it wasn’t Zane. After his panic attack in the bathroom Cole went directly to the Ice ninja, and what came from Zane’s mouth couldn’t have been farther away from his words. Cole had to remind himself once again that he shouldn’t expect so much. But the incident let him decide that he wouldn’t look for his soulmate, he didn’t want to be tied by some words with a meaning he didn’t get, and that he would keep his words a secret. He didn’t want to talk about it, and if the others knew they would just ask things Cole wasn’t sure he wanted nor could answer.

But in all honesty part of him was relieved, having a soulmate meant he wasn’t as flawed as he thought. He usually found himself staring at his wrist at night in wonder… There was a reason, right? They wouldn’t be soulmates if there wasn’t a reason. Cole tried, he really tried to shake those thoughts away, that childish dream, he didn’t want a sense of fake hope or find a person and just be tied to them for no other reason than a sentence. He made up with his dad, Cole didn’t hate him for not showing his grief anymore, they talked and he understood, but that didn’t change the fact that the soulmate fantasy didn’t sit right for him anymore, it scared him. Jay and Nya’s breakup just aggravated his belief, they had been happy, but Nya needed time, Cole didn't blame her for that, he understood that sometimes you just have to get away, but what was the point in having a soulmate if they stopped you from growing? If they incarcerated you? Cole knew Nya didn’t blame Jay, he was just too new to everything, and too expressive, while Nya had a hard time saying what she felt. But it is not like Cole had any relationship experience to at least know. There was Zane… who was not much more than a crush, but he had never dated anyone, and it was hard enough to try to get over him… Cole didn’t want to fall in love again, not when he didn’t think he could forget the Ice Ninja. 

Little did he know destiny is always ready to pull the rug from under his feet.

Cole didn’t feel much, he was numb, but apparently that’s what happens when you become a ghost. His emotions were abrasive, Cole found himself either feeling nothing or one emotion way too strongly, like his body could just manage certain feelings so it turned down the others. Maybe that’s why he got his hopes up again even when he swore he wouldn’t. But he wasn’t a human anymore, and there was just one person in the team who could understand that, and he wore a shiny white gi. 

The thing is, when Cole saved Zane in Chen’s island they talked. Cole had noticed how the nindroit seemed out of his head so he asked, Zane confessed how his new body confused him, he could barely feel things, it was like everything was covered by static… And that’s what Cole was feeling right now, and he really wanted someone to understand… He needed someone to be there for him, was he naive for wanting that person to be Zane?

But the desired comfort never arrived, it was like not just Zane but the rest of the team had decided to forget about his existence. Cole understood the situation, Morro had possessed Lloyd, he was worried, but was he being selfish by wanting someone to notice that he could be drifting apart too?

Cole sat alone in the bow of the bounty. It was dark and he was the only one awake, the cold wind pushed his hair, but Cole would be lying if he said he felt any icy at all. Ha… Wind, somehow he could feel it touch his skin, unlike everything right now. He couldn't tell if it was hot or cold, he assumed it was cold because it was night, but to him the temperature was a mystery. The breeze calmed him, not being able to feel the world around him made him panic, but somehow he could feel the air hitting his face, and it reminded him that perhaps, perhaps everything wasn’t lost.

Like most nights his attention went to the words written in his wrists. His soulmate. Cole took a deep breath and it was like the air cleared his mind. A bitter, but true thought appeared in his head. “Fuck Zane.” He said out loud, holding so much truth that it made the earth ninja feel guilty, it hurt, but he didn't regret it. Zane didn't love him, and will never love him in the way he wanted, the Ice ninja will forever be his friend and partner, but Cole was hurt, his chest was tight, and he couldn't bring himself to love someone when they didn't even notice he needed them. “Fuck Zane.” Cole said again, because it was ironic. Cole didn't hate the Ice ninja, but after being ignored and left out he couldn't bring himself to keep loving Zane. It was not the blonds fault that Cole had fallen in love with him, but neither was Cole’s for not being noticed, so why was the noirette the only one drowning?

The days after becoming a ghost helped Cole discover things he never thought he would find. Things he felt guilty about thinking. There was something about expecting things from someone, that when those things never happen you become a bit skeptic about them. Cole had thought that being a ghost could bring him closer to Zane, but it brought them apart. Cole sought comfort, but Zane was either too focused on Lloyd or too alien to Cole’s feelings. It broke Coles's heart, but at the same time he started noticing how Zanes jokes weren't as funny, his company wasn't as needed, and his smile wasn’t as shiny as it used to be. 

Cole read his words on his head before focusing on the city below him. “Fuck Zane.” He said one more time, not because he hated the ice ninja, but because he needed those words for himself. He didn't love Zane, and it wasn’t a choice, it was a realization, because even when Zane was still his friend Cole couldn’t look at him with the same eyes, not again. The master of earth took a deep breath, and with the wind hitting his face his chest felt lighter for the first time in months. He didn’t love Zane, but that did not mean he wanted his soulmate, Cole still felt weird about his words, but that was a problem for another day.

  
  


And said “Other day” was closer than Cole could have guessed, but what would he know when his words were more common than they appeared.

It really frustrated the earth ninja, he had lost the count of how many times he heard the goddam sentence since he found out his words. It seemed like “Get out of my way” was Kai’s favorite sentence when he was going to the bathroom, Cole knew it wasn’t Kai but  _ still.  _ Also, a bunch of random people on the street seemed to be fond of the damned sentence,  _ Was it so hard to just say “please move”?  _ Cole knew it wasn’t any of them because when he answered there wasn’t any recognition, but for the love of the First Spinjitzu Master, even a thief said that to him when Cole stopped him. 

Cole to this day feels like an idiot for not expecting in the slightest that his soulmate would be a straight up asshole... Well, not so straight.

Cole heard the words so much it got to the point that he wasn’t even jumpy when he heard them. He was actively ignoring them. So imagine that the moment when it actually mattered, the earth ninja didn’t even notice it. Cole stood his ground, held on his sword, Lloyd was safe so now all he had to do was hold on, fight, and without even thinking about it, after he heard the words he knew were written on his wrist, not expecting the outcome he said: “Oh yeah? Make me, Hair head!”

Morro’s face became white, as white as his ghostly body allowed him. In a matter of seconds the villain's posture froze, his face showing complete disbelief. “What did you just say?” Morro’s voice was angry, but his whole body screamed something else… he was scared.

Cole looked at him, he didn’t understand what had just happened, why wasn’t Morro attacking? Why did he want to know what Cole had said?... Slowly, the earth ninja connected two and two, as he himself dropped the battle stand, staring at the man standing in front of him. This had to be a joke. Morro had told Cole to get out of his way, said words were on the earth ninja’s wrist. Cole had sarcastically told him to ‘ _ Make him’  _ , and judging by the way Morro looked at him right now, how he held his wrist in fear, Cole could bet that he had just said the words written on his enemies skin.

Life had a way of disappointing Cole, but this was too much. He hadn't even noticed how they had never directed words at each other before, in every other fight they had just screamed words at the other’s general direction, but it was never meant for them especifically. They hadn’t been speaking with one another, this was the first time. It was like the time had stopped, they were just looking at each other, at their soulmates, in some type of glacier under the endless sea, and Cole couldn’t stop thinking about how the wind was the only thing that made him calm down when he became a ghost.

Wind, his soulmate was the master of wind.

It had to be a joke.

There weren’t more words said after that, just a mutual understanding of the situation, none of them liked it, both of them were scared of it… And though they wanted to know why destiny had decided they were meant to be, no more words were spoken, no more words were heard. Cole retreated, taking advantage of Morro’s shock once he saw his friends in the distance holding Lloyd. 

Cole didn’t know it yet, but he would regret that action in the months to come.

***

Once in the bounty it was like his mind wasn’t present, he couldn’t shake that weird feeling of his chest…  _ Why? _ that question was going to eat him alive. It didn’t make sense, Why Morro? of all people in the world…  _ Why Morro? _

To Cole's disgrace, his pondering didn't go unnoticed by his best friend. He covered his wirts quickly when he heard the lightning ninja approach, but it was in vain. Cole looked at his best friend and was met with a surprised expression.

“You have your words…” The red head smile was wide, but in contrast Cole was fighting really hard not to break right there. Jay frowned, “I don’t get it… You don’t want them?” he got closer to Cole, in a way showing his friend that he could be trusted but it all just felt wrong to Cole. He considered telling his friend, just allow himself to breathe, but in response, it seemed so much easier to lie.

“I don’t think I want a soulmate, it’s just… not for me, not anymore.” Cole said to his best friend in confidence. Jay knew, or at the very least suspected of Cole’s past crush on Zane, the earth ninja never told him directly, but Cole was not surprised when the red head seemed to pick his next words carefully, or at least tried to.

“I… If you already like someone, or well, what I mean is if you…” Jay took a deep breath trying as he tried to organize his words “...You have to meet your soulmate first, you can’t just give up on them without knowing them, it’s not fair.” His best friend looked at him, and the last part sounded more like he was telling it to himself, “Is okay if you need your time, but don’t… just don’t leave them so quickly.’’ 

Jay looked down, and though what he didn't make Cole feel better about his words (because sadly, his soulmate was a villain), cole felt for his friend, and with a sided smile, that he had to admit wasn't as sincere as it appeared, Cole said “Nya Loves you, she just needs time to be able to tell you.”

“I know.” Said the red head, “It doesn’t make it hurt less.” He took a breath and looked at Cole again. “Your soulmate is out there, give them the benefit of the doubt.”

Cole tried to take the advice, but with all his bravery he shyly asked, “But what if I met him already and I didn’t like what I saw?” His voice came out way too small, and he had to break the eye contact in order to be able to say it.

“What do you mean? ...you met them!? him!? Who is he!?”Jay jumped into his best friend, as if forgetting for the conversation had started and Cole hated how Jay’s excited face started to become blurry. That’s when something hit Jay; Cole didn’t like what he saw. The lightning knew his best friend, he was not the type to go judging by appearances. Cole had found his soulmate,and Jay was playing the wild card by saying that maybe, his soulmate wasn't nice. Noticing that, the blue ninja said with a softer tone, “Are you okay? who is he? What did he do?”

Hopefully, as good a talker Jay was, he also knew how to listen, even when you didn’t say anything. Cole got up headed to their shared bedroom and threw himself on the bed, Jay understood that Cole wasn’t ready to talk, and with a small smile he let Cole know that he would be there when the earth ninja wanted to let it all out. But Cole had to thank Jay, he did open his mind, after all, could he really say he knew Morro?

The days went by, and during the battle on Stix Cole eyes found Morro’s again, in the most unlikely of ways. 

A ghost from Morro’s army had quicked Cole to the water, and had not been for the master of wind the black Ninja would have seen his days end right there. Morro had grabbed Cole by his forearm, and with a quick movement pulled the black ninja against his chest and held him by the waist as if to make sure his soulmate wouldn’t fall. As Cole looked into the red and grey sea of his enemy's eyes, he realized that he had never been this close to whom was supposed to be his other half, merely inches away, where they could feel each other's breath, and yet he had never felt farther away from someone. Morro’s expression was a mystery, barely touching his face, but there wasn’t love there, not even close. But somehow here they were again,silently looking at each other, fights were going all around them, and the soulmates held each other like they were a life line.

Morro dropped Cole in a safe place, and the look the wind elemental gave him would haunt him for months. A look that reassured Cole, that just like him, Morro just wanted to know why.

They weren’t able to see each other at all after that. Though still strangers to the other, Cole knew something about Morro, and that was that he was stubborn, and maybe he was delusional, but it hurt to learn that Sensei Wu tried to give Morro a second chance and the ghost declined. 

Morro declined his chance of getting his answer.

••

The months after that were… Weird to put it that way. At first Cole bit his tongue, he couldn’t just go and ask sensei questions about his deceased student, but  _ he just wanted to know!  _ And then, that weird day, when Nya learned Airjitzu out of nowhere and she and Jay seemed to be completely okay…? If Cole was honest with himself that whole week seemed like a blur in his brain but here was the thing, Jay and Nya where now fine, and together, rubbing their soulmate-ness on his face, and that quiet “why” that had always been a whisper in his head became louder, and again, Cole wanted answers.

So he went to his sensei with innocent questions that sadly were rarely answered, but when they were Cole was not disappointed. He learned that Morro had been really quiet, and that he enjoyed reading, as a young boy he had had a hunger to please, though that was not something Sensei Wu mentioned, but rather something he recognized in the Morro of the stories Wu told him. That’s where Cole found their first similarity, they had done everything to make their parents proud, for Morro it was Wu, as he tried to become the green Ninja, for Cole it was his own father, as he pushed himself in dance school.

The stories were great, but weird, and one far between the other. The black Ninja thought back at the only time his questions could have been answered, that day when he found out the truth. It had been just them in the endless sea, no fights going around, just them. Cole could have asked, he should have asked, even if at the moment it seemed illogical. 

He often found himself in the museum, staring at the statue of his soulmate as if it could provide him with answers. It did not, but as he felt himself get weaker and his ghostly body slowly fade, the question seemed to just get louder. 

So Cole, a fading ghost, stood there, in the museum, days away from the day of the departed, wondering if he would ever get an answer. 

  
  
  


Luckily, just for once, destiny would be on his side. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> If you went back to read the tags, then that means I succeed in my task and you fell into my sandstorm trap :)
> 
> But, if you listen closely, you will be able to hear the angry glacier shippers on the distance.- Honestly, I, as a multi shipper, love glacier, but we, as a community, have to admit that glacier's best years are behind us, and I personally feel like it started decreasing during Cole's ghost arc, it could have provided fuel for the ship but it did the opposite. I really debated whether or not to put the one sided Glacier, but I love glacier angst so here it is.
> 
> I AM GOING TO UPDATE THIS! THIS FIC IS NOT DEAD! (31/12/2020)
> 
> Next chapter is Morro’s Chapter, And I am working my way through it, I am hoping to have it done by February the latest. 
> 
> Till next time!!


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